Chapter Forty-Six: All Is Well, The Fierce Wave Against Crime

Lin Xing returned to “Farming with the Stars” at 2 p.m.

At present, Lin Miaoyin was preparing to join a new crew, so she had temporarily finished her recording; as for Guan Peng, he had not yet returned. According to his filming schedule, Guan Peng should have wrapped up his scenes by mid-August. However, word was that his performance in “Learning Dad, Learning Mom” was so outstanding, or perhaps his chemistry with the cast was so strong, that the director decided on the spot to add more scenes for him. It seemed that not only had Guan Peng seized this opportunity, he had even taken things a step further.

“Xingxing, it’s great that you’re here,” Director Feng Gang greeted Lin Xing with a smile. “Guan Peng hasn’t come back yet, and Miaoyin is about to start filming elsewhere. If you didn’t return, our ‘Farming Team’ would really need to bring in more guests.”

“Director Feng, I’ve just been too busy lately,” Lin Xing replied, shaking his head. “Now that I have some time, I rushed over to record a few episodes.”

“I understand. This past half month, you’ve probably been the hottest name in the entertainment circle,” Feng Gang joked. “How does it feel to be back in the spotlight?”

“It’s all just castles in the air. In about another half month, when ‘Just Waiting For You’ finishes airing, things will quiet down,” Lin Xing replied with a slight shake of his head. “Half of this current popularity is thanks to Du Fei’s momentum, and the other half is because people are using me to take shots at Chu Chen.”

“Exactly, Xingxing. I knew I wasn’t wrong about you,” Feng Gang nodded approvingly. “I was really afraid you’d let this sudden fame go to your head, but it seems you’re staying rational. Keeping a low profile right now is the right call. Chu Chen’s in quite a bit of trouble lately.”

On this point, Lin Xing agreed. As a top-tier celebrity in the first echelon, Chu Chen had access to far more resources than most. Previously, when Qi Shuai’s career collapsed, they immediately tried to snatch up his opportunities. They’d even hoped to rise further with the airing of “Just Waiting For You.” Fans were convinced Chu Chen was about to ascend the throne. Instead, he faced a storm of ridicule—his acting was mocked, and people even called him the “King of Grease.” At this point, Niu Xiang, Bian Pengtao, and others on the same level as Chu Chen weren’t about to let this chance slip by. So, Chu Chen had gone from offense to defense.

On the surface, the entertainment industry seemed calm and friendly, with everyone greeting each other cheerfully. But beneath that facade, it was a roiling sea. Take Lin Xing, for example—there were plenty waiting to stab him in the back and take him down.

“Brother Xing, congratulations,” someone called out.

“Brother Xing, congrats!”

“Congratulations, Brother Xing!”

As they prepared to start recording, Duan Hai, Ding Yi, and a few lesser-known cast members all offered their congratulations to Lin Xing. Even Hong Fei burst out laughing, “Xingxing, I knew you’d make a comeback!”

Lin Xing smiled, “Congratulations to you too, Hong-ge. I heard you’re about to play the male lead in an action movie?”

“No, no, just the second lead,” Hong Fei waved his hands, but his mood was clearly excellent. “Thanks to you, Xingxing. Our show’s ratings have shot up lately, and I happened to stand out in a couple of episodes. Director Wang Jun of ‘Ready to Fish’ saw me and thought I’d fit this action-heavy supporting role they had.”

It was worth noting that Hong Fei hadn’t had any decent roles for quite a while; for the last two years, he’d been stuck filming web movies or taking whatever throwaway parts he could get. There was no helping it—once you’re out of the spotlight, no one wants to cast you, especially if you’re an action actor. Since joining “Farming with the Stars,” Guan Peng got cast in a show, even Duan Hai and Ding Yi landed some new gigs and endorsement deals. Though Hong Fei always seemed cheerful, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated underneath it all. He’d been out of the limelight for so long that he’d almost gotten used to it, but who doesn’t hope for a comeback?

Last week, out of the blue, the casting team for “Ready to Fish” called him; he’d even wondered if it was a scam. Ironically, “Ready to Fish” was a film about telecom fraud. After the audition, Hong Fei landed the role of the second male lead, with plenty of action scenes and some standout moments. It all felt like a dream—he never could have imagined playing such a significant role in a film like “Ready to Fish.”

“Hong-ge, I told you before, you should thank Director Feng,” Lin Xing laughed. “But it’s also because you have the talent.”

“There are plenty of talented people in this industry, Xingxing, but opportunities don’t always come to those with talent,” Hong Fei replied with a smile. “But at least we’ve weathered the storm.”

“Yes, things will get better,” Lin Xing replied with a smile. “Compared to other jobs, what we do isn’t really that hard—it’s just the sense of letdown that messes with our minds.”

“Hahaha, you’ve hit the nail on the head,” Feng Gang burst out laughing as he came over to start filming. “Do you know what my last six months were like?”

Just think—when Feng Gang was at Tan Province TV, everyone flocked around him. A single post in his social circle would rack up nearly a thousand likes in no time. But after he left Tan Province TV, even a post promoting “Farming with the Stars” struggled to break a hundred likes. Yet now, though the show wasn’t top-tier, every star who appeared on it seemed to be on the rise. “Farming with the Stars” had become an attractive platform for celebrities. These days, when Feng Gang posted something, he might not get the same number of likes as before, but at least he was back up to sixty percent of his old numbers. Everyone in the industry is shrewd—now that Feng Gang seemed poised for a comeback, those old connections were starting to return.

And how had this happened? It was all thanks to Lin Xing. Feng Gang had never forgotten the favor of someone who’d lent a helping hand in his darkest hour.

Since Lin Xing had just come back today, Feng Gang only had him record for an hour and a half before handing the rest over to Guo Biao, so he could have a private chat with Lin Xing.

“Xingxing, are you planning to move closer to acting from now on?” Feng Gang asked suddenly.

Lin Xing was a bit taken aback. “Director Feng, what makes you say that?”

“I thought your performance in ‘Just Waiting For You’ was impressive. Plus, you haven’t rushed to accept endorsements or commercial deals during your surge in popularity…” Feng Gang smiled. “And you said you turned down scripts for domineering CEO roles—you aren’t interested in cashing in on short-term hype.”

Lin Xing didn’t deny it. “That’s right, Director Feng. I just want to take advantage of having options right now to choose better scripts.”

Feng Gang got straight to the point. “I came across a script from an old friend of mine recently—it’s still in the early stages, but there’s already some buzz online. The project is called ‘The Black Wave,’ have you heard of it?”

…